| Author | Message | ||
     Nvr2old |
I've read several posts regarding difficulty getting consistent measurement, and I also experience a wide range of readings. When I check oil at fillup, as specified in owner's manual, it's always just above 2nd X from bottom. When I check oil in garage after a ride, it's below the add mark, sometimes nothing at all on dipstick. I've got 700 miles in my XB12X, purchased new in February. Great bike, I absolutely love this thing. Anyway, I changed the oil at 60 miles and after the change, the level was just above the 2nd X from the bottom. Seems like the difference between gas station and garage is that my driveway has an incline, so I pull up into the driveway, engine idling, while fumbling in my pocket for the garage door remote, then wait for the door to open, total time idling on the incline is about 20 to 25 seconds. I then pull into the garage, shut off engine and measure oil. Is it possible the engine is wet sumping when idling on an incline? Maybe the scavenge pump is drawing some air into the swingarm? It's no big deal, just something I need to consider when changing oil, I'd like to drain the swingarm when oil level is correct, not indicating lower than it really is. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Nvr2old- Your "2nd X from the bottom" seems like what the vast majority of these bikes (06-up) indicate. I can't imagine you're wet-sumping the engine on any kind of incline that you could stop on like that. My guess is your garage floor is a little off-plumb. Maybe try facing the bike 90 degrees from normal, then 180 degrees and see if that makes a big difference? | ||
| Nvr2old |
Yup, I tried the 180 degree check and it's very little difference. I know you pre-08 owners think I'm nuts, but you've got to see it to believe it. Now I just took a ride and came to a stop in the street, opened the garage door, and zipped into the garage quickly. Oil level covering the 2 bottom X's. I need to repeat these tests before I'm convinced. Who knows, maybe I am nuts. | ||
| Keith_mahoney |
You're not crazy. I can't even get get oil to ever cover the "add" part of the stick. Most of the time the stick reads completely dry. I have put oil in twice and had it all over the airbox twice. My big concern is like yours, what to do for the oil change. I guess a have a few thousand miles to figure it out. | ||
| Glen |
same here Keith, i checked my oil before a ride and had nothing on the stick, i added enough oil to get a normal reading and took off, the smell of burning oil all day sucked but not as much as filling my muffler with spooge too wich spits all over my back wheel everytime i start the bike up now. | ||
| Nvr2old |
Keith, Glen, I'm curious what it measures when you check at a filling station. | ||
| Road_kill |
Thanks to the postings on this website, I know I was not alone trying to figure out how much oil is in my bike. Like many, I get 2 X's covered after an oil change (warmed up). I've tracked every oz I put in it and found that, over 13k miles, mine uses on average 5 oz oil per 1k miles. So now I just put 2-3 oz in every 500 miles. As long as I see oil on the stick, I don't worry any more. Not more than a trace of oil in the airbox either. Oh yeah, I need to re-route that oil breather - or just go riding instead.  | ||
| Kellaupat |
I do exactly the same as Road_kill. My readings have barely shown on the stick since I bought my bike. Even after an oil change it always seemed low. By the way, when I change my oil I practically have the drain bolt out when I turn off the motor, before it runs back to the "dry sump" lol | ||
| Choyashi |
It is impossible to get a decent reading! One time hot it's low, then it's high, then it's low-hot and then high-cold! Mine showed no oil hot, so I added 4oz's. When I ran it for a minute and unscrewed the filler, it bubbled out all over the swingarm!!! I think the problem is tied to the crappy rear brake which is very close to the dipstick? The best thing to do is just change the oil every two weeks no matter what. | ||
| Dlv |
Consistency is the key. Because of this issue, soon after I got the bike I drained mine exactly as Kellaupat described: I loosened the drain plug while the engine was running and as soon as I shut it off, I drained it. Then refilled with the exact amount. Then I knew I had the correct amount in the engine. Now to check it I pull into the garage and as soon as I turn the engine off, I check it. I always check it consistently this way. | ||
| Nvr2old |
That consistency is what I'm looking for. Otherwise, the dipstick is useless and oil changes are a guessing game. | ||
| Froggy |
I had a 09 in my possession for a few weeks, I checked the oil a few times the same way I do on my 06, and each time it was the same at 2 X's. Same exact way it is on the 06. Someone reported that there is a issue with a check valve on a few of the 08s. | ||
| Hangetsu |
I will commiserate with you on this issue. I have a 09, now with just after 3000 miles. I did the first oil change myself at 500 miles and I experienced the same issue as the rest of you are reporting here. I put in the exact required amount of oil, but when I checked it (bike hot) I got almost no reading on the stick. I tried adding oil until I got about half the stick covered and when I ran the bike, I blew oil all over the inside of the air box and the oil level suddenly rose to the top of the stick. I got on Bad Web and read a dozen or so threads on this issue and tried one of the suggestions I found there; put in the specified amount of oil and when checking, pull the stick immediately after shutting off the engine. When I did this, sure 'nuf, oil covered about 2 X's on the stick. I tried it a few more times and if I waited more than 30 seconds after shutting her off, I would get no reading at all. I complained to the dealer about this issue and at my 1000 mile service they said they would check into it. I spoke with them when I picked up the bike and they said, they had no issues with the oil sumping, no matter how long they waited. We gave it another try together and even after waiting several minutes after shit off, the oil didn't recede any noticeable amount. However, the dealer had filled the oil to a level that covered the entire stick, beyond the over-full line. It seems that their method was to fill add oil based solely on what they see on the stick and not the factory recommended measurements. As it was explained to me, they fill it, check it, and draw oil back out if it's too full. On my way home from the dealer that day, the engine ran somewhat crappy and I had the smell of burning oil for a week after. Well, after reading many threads on this issue and having dealt with it myself for a spell, what I have learned is: 08 and later Ulys have a problem in the oiling system. The problem doesn’t seem to interfere with engine performance and I doubt it will have any effect on long-term engine life. It is however annoying and I do hope Buell finds a solution to the problem. My solution to the problem has been this: Put in the suggested amount of oil + an ounce or so and always check the oil on a flat surface and immediately after shut-off. If I get two or more X's coverage on the stick in these conditions, I'm happy. Until Buell fixes this problem on future models, I think it's just something we will have to live with. | ||
| Keith_mahoney |
Keith, Glen, I'm curious what it measures when you check at a filling station. First off I only check oil level once every couple of weeks. If I did it every fill it would be a couple times a week and that is just a hassle I won't live with. I also only check the oil hot, but I can add oil then go for a ride then shut down the bike and immediately check the level and it is in the middle of the word "add" yet my air box will have oil in it indicating it is over filled. From now on I will just add a couple ounces every 1000 miles and live with it. As I posted earlier, my biggest concern is just getting all the oil out at changes. I am more concerned with the wheel bearings than I am about damaging the engine due to lack of oil. |
